Katniss dragged her own body weight along with the two packed game bags she carried on each shoulder. It was just around 2 pm in the afternoon and she was already exhausted. She had woken up at the dawning twilight and trekked out to the woods. She exerted herself in getting the best game for Greasy Sae's food stall at the celebration today. She had ensnared a few rabbits and trapped a large turkey. She had shot down some plump squirrels and wild geese. She had hauled it all home and cleaned it for the old woman's sake, since she would have no time to do it.
As she walked on the outlying streets of the town square, she saw merchants setting up tables under small tents. She crossed through the center of the town, where she saw others decorating lamp posts with bulky ribbon and setting up the large banner that announced the Equinox Festival. She saw men setting up a makeshift stage for where she knew fiddlers would play their music. She sighed trying to dash to the block Greasy Saw was setting up in, hurrying to get the weight of the meat off her arms.
She was just rounding the corner when someone called after her, "Everdeen!"
Katniss turned around to find her friend approaching her, she smiled.
"Thom."
She hadn't seen him in a while, he worked long hours in the weekdays and on weekends she had taken to hanging out with Peeta, when she wasn't in the woods.
"I thought you weren't coming to this," he said surprised, even though it was still too early.
The festival had no official hour for attending, but most people arrived when the sun was just setting.
"I wasn't," she answered.
He raised an eyebrow, "Then?"
She didn't want to reveal that Peeta had changed her mind, so she lifted a game bag.
"I'm here to hand this over, but I'll see about coming back later," she responded.
Thom nodded.
He questioned, "Are you dropping that off with Sae?"
"Yeah," she uttered wanting to keep walking, before the weight of it pulled her down.
"Here, I'll help you," Thom extended a hand noticing her struggle.
"I can do it," she scorned.
Thom ignored her with a laugh and took a game bag from her.
"Alright," she scowled when he motioned for her to hand him the second one.
Thom weighed the second one in his hand, "How many of these were from the snares?"
Katniss fell in step beside him, frowning at how effortlessly he carried the weight, "About five."
Thom smirked, "Any of mine?"
Katniss beamed, "All of them."
"I figured," he retorted in playful disapproval.
Thom left snares out and if he had the chance at the end of the day, he'd check to see if there was any catches. He didn't need to hunt, he's job on the town council paid more than enough to sustain his living. It was simply that he had a preference for fresh meat and Katniss respected that. They hunted on the weekends together, well not so much lately. Nonetheless, since some entrapped carcasses spoiled in a day or other scavenging animals would eat them, Katniss tended use Thom's snares as her own. They were friends, so he didn't mind and she wasn't greedy. She would drop off game at his door too. She would even clean it and hand it over, enveloped nicely in supple wrappings.
"I saw your boyfriend setting up shop," Thom said bringing her out of her thoughts.
She glowered, "He's not my boyfriend."
Whatever, was between her and Peeta she didn't like to talk about with anyone. She changed conversations topics, when Delly implied something. She threw things at Haymitch, when he made snide comments about star-crossed lovers. She played with Greasy Sae's granddaughter, when the woman wanted to interrogate her about Peeta. As for her only other friend, this was what she did.
She acted indifferently.
"Not what I heard," Thom informed her with a smug smile.
She narrowed her eyes, "What's do you mean?"
"Heard you were heading off into the woods together," he said cautiously.
Katniss sighed with resigned frustration, "I can't believe people still give a damn about my life. I thought I was the broken Mockingjay no one cared for anymore."
Thom shrugged but added, "Look, I know you guys have a history together and it's none of my business. I just care about you… like a bratty little sister. I remember him back in 13 and just be careful, alright?"
Katniss's face expression changed, "Don't worry okay. He's… himself again."
She gave him a side eye, "And I care about you too, but not when you act like a dad."
Thom grimaced, "Hey, I'm not that old, besides I thought Haymitch was more like your dad in that dysfunctional circle of yours."
Katniss laughed, "No. No. Haymitch's like my gruffy, ill mannered, and overgrown child."
Thom looked thoughtful for a second, "Bet he wasn't breastfed."
Katniss's eye went wide, "What?"
"As a child, it would explain why he's so attached to the bottle now."
Katniss felt relief, having thought disgustingly for a second. She didn't correct him on the actual reasons Haymitch was attached to the bottle. They were the same reasons he slept in the day, where they were a little less haunting.
They dropped off the game bags with Sae, who exalted in appraisal when she inspected the meat. She would make good money tonight. Although, the district was had mostly recovered and there was a deeper sense of community than there had ever been, business was still business. The entertainment and the merriment would be free, but food and merchandise weren't. Since people had quality jobs with money or goods to trade now, they didn't seem to mind too much.
Katniss and Thom left Greasy Sae with the promise to come in the evening for a hot free meal, they were family after all.
"I think I'm going to shower for hours," Katniss said in disgust as she took in sight of her clothes and arms.
"I have stuff to do too, before I can have any fun around here. I have to go finish up some paper work before tomorrow," Thom grieved as they walked through town together.
When they came within reach of the corner where they had to separate he said, "I'll tell you what, I'll pass by your house and we can come together."
Katniss nodded.
"How's 6ish?"
"That works," he said at the corner.
"Alright I'll see you," she waved.
"Wear something pretty," he yelled teasingly from a distance.
"You too," Katniss hollered back.
Katniss did stay in the shower longer than usual, but it was still far too early to get ready for 6 pm. She parted her medium length hair down the middle and plaited the halves in two braids. Some hairs stuck out, still too short in stretch, but she wasn't planning on wearing her hair like this, that's just how she slept in it. When she'd wake up in the mornings, she brushed it out and wore it down with the natural wavy tresses the braids formed. When she was in the woods, she'd pull it away into a low bun. She wasn't very creative with hairstyles, so she wasn't going to go through the hassle. She braided it now, so that she could take a nap and have something to work with when she woke up.
She roused around three hours later with little time to spare. She debated in her wardrobe until she settled for a pale pink dress that used to be her mother's, it was eerily similar to the infamous blue one from her reaping. She wondered off for a moment in memories, but shook them off. Life could only be analyzed backwards, but daily she had to fight the 'what if's. They were pointless because this is the life she had now and it could only be lived forward, not backward. There was no purpose to get dejected in inane thoughts of the past and so she moved to the bathroom. She fixed her hair and sprayed some holding spray. She even applied a bit of make up to elongate her eyelashes and rosy her cheeks. It was a festive occasion, why not try to look a bit more cleaned up, for once.
She pulled on some suede, gray flats and walked out to the porch to wait for Thom. She sat on the stairs and pondered where Haymitch was. She had seen him on the couch when she got home, but vanished when she had sauntered down the stairs hours later. She put her elbows on her knees and her chin on her hands. It was 6:20 in the evening, and there was still no sign of Thom.
A few minutes later, she saw someone rushing through Victor Village's gates, but it wasn't her dark-haired friend.
Peeta almost didn't notice her in his haste, carrying a large empty burlap sack with him.
She called after him, "Peeta!"
Peeta almost tripped on his own feet in surprise. When he recovered he came back in her direction and at the sight of her, his priorities were forgotten.
"You're wearing pink," he said.
"Probably will be dirty brown by the time I come home," she joked.
"It looks nice on you," he commented.
She didn't know how to accept compliments, so instead she asked, "What are you doing here?"
He should be in the festival, selling his taste-bud inducing pastries.
Peeta promptly explained, "I came to get the extras I made this afternoon."
She was confused, "What?"
He beamed, "They sold out Katniss."
She smiled genuinely, "That's great."
He remembered his urgency now, "I left Delly on the last rounds, so I have to hurry. I saw Haymitch at the bar stall, he wasted no time. Are you just leaving?"
"Soon," she hoped.
He looked her over, "Do you want to come with me?"
"I'm waiting for Thom," she answered trying not to flush under his gaze.
Something changed in his expression, "Oh."
She began, "I'm just-"
"Sorry, I just think I should get going," he small smiled before turning and walking briskly toward his house.
She was stunned for a moment, but then bellowed after him, "Good luck."
He didn't reply.
Thom's justification was simple enough, he had fallen asleep. Katniss didn't accept his apologizing, there was no need. She knew he worked hard and since both of them awoke with the appetite of hungry boars, the first stop had been at Greasy Sae's.
Haymitch had joined them there too at some point and showed off his new liquor purchases. As they ate and clowned around, Katniss realized she was really content in that moment. She was with the few people who had come to mean so much to her. It was turning out to be a good night, until Haymitch shared a few shots with Thom. Sae dismissed them all immediately for the sake of her steady stream of customers. She even scolded Katniss in the process for not being more candid about the situation.
The festival was starting to grow on Katniss, the longer she wandered in it. In one corner, she could make out young children tittering near game booths, where they won toys or candy depending on their aim. She could hear the backdrop of fiddle music near the center of the town square where the stage had been placed and the drone-like chatter of people lost in conversations. She was enthralled by the different sources invading her senses, and she realized for the first time maybe it had all been worth it. The giggling children would never have to fear being reaped again and adults finally had the luxury of choosing food on something other than sustenance. She smiled and briefly wondered if Peeta might be thinking the same.
"I'm bloated," Thom proclaimed as they moved through the commemoration.
"No one forced you to eat two bowls," Katniss retorted back as she kept an arm crossed through his to keep him up right while walking through moving bodies.
Thom could act as tough as he wanted, but he couldn't hold his liquor. He was verging past tipsy and Katniss had to provide some support to keep him from stumbling.
"Yeah, but she didn't have to fill them to the rim," Thom protested lamely.
"She felt obliged since they were your catches," Katniss answered.
"Hmm, the good they do me. I don't have enough time to be out there," he lamented.
Katniss smirked, "Good thing I can, more resources I can supply from."
Thom gave her a side glance, "More like steal, but whatever."
She stifled a snort as they walked linked together to the unintended, but by majority coincidence, sweets and confections street.
"Hey," Thom said narrowing his eyes at one booth in the distance
"What," she answered distracted as she searched for Peeta's stand.
"Have you ever tried some shaved ice?"
"No," she responded trying to remember if she had.
"Come on."
Thom dragged her along clumsily, until she got her stride and supported their combined weight better.
She noticed the pair of blondes almost immediately. It's as if her gaze rippled through the air and tugged on one of Delly's wavy curls, because she turned in the direction of Katniss and Thom. She squinted her eyes and when realization crossed her face, she lifted up her hand to wave. Katniss gestured back as best she could with one free hand. She saw Delly elbow Peeta who was organizing something on their table and when he saw the pair of them, he didn't greet them as she expected.
It dawned on Katniss that maybe it bothered him, her holding on to Thom's arm. She had explained their friendship to him though, so it couldn't be that. She assumed the business of the second rounds of bread probably wasn't selling so well.
She turned her eyes away from them and looked back at Thom, who was oblivious to her ordeal.
He was distracted looking at flavors and combinations of shaved ice on the booth's posters.
"I thought you were bloated," she verbalized.
Thom raised an eyebrow, "I could make room."
Katniss sighed, predicting a retching Thom some time from now, with a stomach crammed of rabbit stew, whiskey, and saccharine ice.
Thom moved to make his choosing, but only after he asked, "So you want one or not?"
She denied the offer and told him she'd be at Peeta's stall.
"Hi," she said when she drew near the table of smelling wonders.
"Hey," Peeta answered looking over at her.
The cold countenance on his face kept her from speaking, until Delly finished with the a customer.
She on the other hand, received her with a smile and warmth.
"Katniss, You look lovely."
Katniss smiled, "You too Delly."
She glanced at Peeta, "So how's the round of seconds going?"
Peeta fixed some table cards, so Delly answered for them both.
"They're going great. You should have seen the people. The ones who knew Peeta's family were so kind and they talked about how much they missed the business."
"That's great," Katniss simpered.
Peeta looked up from his organizing, "So where's Thom?"
Katniss turned around expecting to find the sight of him where she had left him, only there were other people there. No Thom between or among them, so she turned around and said as much.
"I don't know, he promised me some shaved ice and disappeared. He's probably eating his and mine."
Delly' eyes lit up with awe, "There's a stand of shaved ice?"
"Yeah it's over there," Katniss said pointing the direction she came from.
Delly reached for her purse, "I'll be right back then."
Katniss moved around the table to be near Peeta.
She sat on the stool Delly had vacated, "So did you make it back here in time?"
"Yeah," Peeta answered from his own stool.
"I saw Haymitch, you were right. He got his hands on four new bottles of whiskey,"
"I bet," Peeta said adjusting a row of croissants that didn't need fixing.
"I guess I have the task of emptying them half out and filling them with water," Katniss joked, although it was what she always did.
Haymitch hadn't caught on to her tricks yet, only muttering about how the new liquor distiller could have learned a thing or two from the deceased Ripper.
"Good idea," Peeta said with indifference.
Why was he acting like this?
Katniss deliberated, "Are you mad at me or something?"
Peeta returned her contemplation now, "Why would I be mad?"
"I don't know you tell me," she said without raising her voice.
Peeta motioned in the direction of the shaved ice stand, "Shouldn't you go find Thom?"
There it was.
Katniss didn't know how she felt about that.
"We're just friends Peeta," she reassured.
"Hmm, yeah I know," Peeta said sarcastically.
Katniss's temper was starting to rise under her skin, "Do you?"
"Yeah, but your definition of friends entails a lot of things," he said without pause.
She felt defensive now, "What is that supposed to mean?"
He just shrugged, not revealing his real thoughts.
It was almost three months to date since Peeta had come back to 12. She had growing affection for him, but she also held Thom with regard. He gave her a new type friendship, where he wasn't secretly in love with her or they had to get along for the sake of Capitol television. He was her friend because they had common interests and transparent liking for one another as individuals, nothing less or more. So yes, she was protective of it, even if it bothered Peeta.
Katniss exhaled and collectedly clarified, "I've told you this past year Thom was one of the few people who were there for me. He's as much of my friend as you were are. I don't act like this toward Delly, so I don't get why you're acting like this with him."
Peeta took a deep breath, "You don't get it, do you?
She didn't, "What?"
"I've tried to rationalize it, but there's no fighting it. They may or may not make sense, but they're there," Peeta rambled on more to himself, than her.
"I'm not understanding," Katniss said disclosing her frustration.
She stood up when he kept mute longer than was fitting. She would let him clear his mind on his own.
He stood up when she made move to leave.
"My feelings for you, Katniss."
She stared at him in complete silence.
He moved closer, mere inches apart, his eyes never drifting away from hers, "I know what you're going to say, that it's not possible after everything. But it is what it is."
He waited for a reply, but when she opened her mouth, no words were produced.
So he continued, "And yes I am mad, not at you, but at myself. Seeing you with Thom makes me feel the exact same way seeing you with Gale did four years ago, and it all makes me feel like a fool."
She froze. She didn't know what to say, what to do, how to breathe.
"So that's the truth Katniss. I can't you be your friend, when I all I want to do is kiss you," he said as his eyes lingered down to her lips.
He made no action to lean in, so she just gazed as his eyes came back to stare in hers.
"I- I-"she stammered.
"I know it's too much and I-" he never finished.
On impulse she kissed him, because she wouldn't let him take back any of it.
She initially had just pressed her lips softly to his, eyes closed. She was just pulling away when he reacted, pressing her against him with his hands on her waist. His kiss was more insistent and Katniss responded to it, letting their mouths find their forgotten familiarity.
She tried to pull back, to think, to breathe, but his lips just followed hers. She caved and her hands fisted in his shirt. They kissed until he bit her bottom lip and she needed air. He rested his forehead on hers.
They stayed seconds long like that, eyes closed and pressed together.
"Peeta," she exhaled against him.
The feeling of being watched, pulled her out of the bliss.
She looked over Peeta's shoulder to see Delly standing in shock, with a cup of shaved ice melting in her hand.
"I'm sorry," Delly uttered for ruining or saving the moment. She didn't know.
She retreated to let them be alone.
"No, Delly stay! I have to go- I have to- go," Katniss said pulling away from Peeta, not daring to look him in the eyes.
She walked around and away from the stall , never turning back. When she was sure she was out of their sight, she practically ran home.
